Abby Normal

The Fession Con

I yawned loudly, setting off another wave from the sea of never-ending weird looks that I was getting this morning. Huffing I added extra concentration to my already intense gaze and raised my inked arms closer to my face for extra effect.

There was probably many reasons why the hotel residents were giving me glances that suggested my mere existence was off-putting, but I would like to think it was mostly because I couldn't take a shower this morning. Multiply that with lack of sleep and general mediocrity and you get a frizzy haired bowl of hideousness to deal with; that of course being me.

And the sharpied squiggly black lines that had labelled itself a map that spanned over both my forearms was the reason for this.

Is it too much to ask for your room mates to wake you when we have one of our stupid tree hugging, 'let's play happiness' sessions? Or even a note telling me where the fuck I was supposed to be 10 minutes ago? Apparently sending me on an orienteering expedition (with nothing more than half a muffin and a crudely drawn map on my skin ) was a much more humane way to help a fellow room mate. I cursed at them under my breath for the umpteenth time. It was their fault that I couldn't shower this stupid map was the only thing standing between me and a sanction.

I trudged along. There was absolutely no point sighing about it, I could kill them when we met again. We meet again my mind whispered in a sinister hiss and I couldn't help but laugh at myself.

Sleep deprivation does some weird shit to an already fucked up mind. I stomped my foot triumphantly not able to help the grin that was sloppily painted across my mouth. Matched with my wild hair and my bloodshot eyes I probably looked psychotic. But I was past caring at this point. I had found the meeting room 1b. Composing myself I pushed the door wide open.

The room was swathed in orange, and not the beautiful peach kind either. That hideous shade of orange that reminds you of the time your friend threw up Tangy Cheese Doritoes on your (aptly named) Chucks. Everywhere I looked was swathed in this obscenely strong shade of orange. Banners with the words: Learn Your Lesson. FESSION CONVENTION printed in faded black font were the main culprits of making the room so...orange.

"So nice of you to join us Abigail." Holden said tightly. My eyes connected with Holden and it was then that I realised I had an audience.

"Abigail Jagger I presume" the voice was light with an unrecognisable foreign accent that pronounced every syllable in my name. The way my name was said, sounded like a compliment in itself.

The asian man that looked up from his clipboard with a dazzlingly white smile was not what I expected. His voice was weirdly feminine but his exotic features more than made up for it. He ran his long fingers through his curly head of hair, his expression relaxing from the intense happy look that it had been wearing.

Striding towards me with an outstretched hand was

"Majid, the main co-ordinator of the Fession Convention" he introduced with one solid shake before taking his hand back. "Do you have any preference in name?" He asked his eyes trained on my own. Hypnotic is the only description I have. Oh and dark. Dark and hypnotic.

"AJ" I breathed. Was it normal for someone to make you feel so mellow? He was like a humanized piece of weed.

"Well you are just in time AJ we're just about to begin our icebreaker excercise." Somehow he sheperded me towards the other Fly High students and before I could so much as drop into one of the folding chairs, he had abandoned me to stand in the middle of the room. Addressing everyone with the same dazzling and hypnotizing demeanour that I had decieved myself into believing was reserved especially for me. "Right everyone, since AJ wasn't here when I explained what the Fession Convention is. Would anyone care to explain?"

I could have bitten through the awkwardness with my two front teeth. "Don't all come at once." Majid stage whispered with a chuckle and a shake of bouncy curls."Newt thank you for volunteering."

"I don't understand why you always pick me for this shit. " Newt piped up, his husky voice filling the room with rich Irish tones. He was amongst the orange clad group. I couldn't see him from my seat.

"Newt." Majid said warningly.

"I mean we could do a game of rock paper scissors. Meagan how about me and you eh?"

"Newton!" Majid said sharply. With a grunt Newt stood up.

A collective gasp shot through the Fly High half of the audience. Newton was a work of art and in every sense of the word a living muse. His jade eyes glistened with mischief as he captured every gaze that was on him.

When his bejewelled eyes fell upon my face my stomach dropped and I swear I involuntarily leaned forward in my plastic seat. He flicked his gaze away from mine and it was then that I noticed that his unruly locks gave the illusion of liquid fire.

With every movement his molten hair would flip to the other half of his face in a ridiculously attractive manner, revealing the dozens of silver rings that bit into his ear. He moved his hands expressively as he spoke and though his beauty was too distracting to capture the actual words he was saying the lilt of an irish accent mixed with the sensual way that he caressed every word so that each one was personalised was something that stuck in my brain.

"So did you get that Gail?" he pronounced it Gay-elle and I must tell you the only way to describe that man saying your name is to compare it to being the only girl in the world as if I meant-

"I know you said we were meant to help these sods but they are about as useful as broken condoms Maj. Must be sick little psychos if they can't understand simple sentences"

Newt said casually, distractedly rolling up the sleeves of his jumpsuit to reveal tattooed sleeves printed on his creamy skin.

"Newt!" Majid gasped. Newt shrugged and slumped back into his seat folding his arms. "Sorry AJ. Let me explain the Fession Convention, popularly called the Fession Con is a society of people who have been chosen-"

"drafted" Newt drawled earning a snicker from his crowd. Unfazed Majid continued

"To help young people-"

" Criminals" Newt sang. I saw a vein at Majid's temple jump but he remained calm. I had to give him points for not shooting the hunky irish bastard in the head; I know if it was me in his position the boy would have been castrated a long time ago.

Majid's golden brown throat became patched with scarlet, clearing his throat he continued.

"From all over the world to learn from each others mistakes by-"

"Coughing up what crimes they did, basically we exchange notes on not how to get caught" Newt piped up, a throaty, heart felt laughter vibrated from his half of the room.

"Get out." Majid whispered, his voice menacingly low. I don't think the man was capable of raising his voice.

"Finally, jesus!" Newton exclaimed, jumping from his chair making it clatter on the wooden floor.

"Actually... sit." Majid said slyly. "It wouldn't be a punishment if I let you go AWOL now would it"

Leaving him to mumble under his breath Majid spreading his arms expressively with his knee jellifying smile "How about we get started shall we?"